Myths About the Causes of Hair Loss

At the first signs of hair loss, it’s natural to want to point fingers at something, anything, and blame it for your newly thinning hair. While hair loss can occur for a variety of reasons — from a shock to your system, to a medical problem such as an over or underactive thyroid, to your genes and male pattern baldness — there are some common myths associated hair loss that really have nothing to do with it.

If you’re starting to lose your hair or have lost a significant amount already, the best thing to do is see a hair restoration specialist, such as Dr. Jeffrey Epstein. He can help you determine what’s really behind your hair loss and recommend the treatment that will provide the best results.

Myth 1: Your Mother

It wasn’t long ago that everyone’s mother got the blame when it came to male pattern baldness. The belief was that hereditary hair loss only came from one side of the family, meaning that if a person’s mother’s father had hair loss, that person was more likely to as well.

That’s just not the case, at least not completely. You can end up with the genes for hair loss from either your mom or your dad. The good news is that it’s also possible for you not to end up with the genes for hair loss, even if your mom’s dad lost his hair.

Myth 2: Your Shampoo

When you don’t wash your hair for a couple of days, it’s common for you to shed a few more hairs in the shower than you usually would, or at least, for it to look as though you’ve shed a few more hairs than usual. In reality, the extra hairs you shed most likely came loose a few days prior and it was the action of washing your hair that caused them to fall from your scalp.

Shampooing on a regular basis won’t lead to hair loss and it’s perfectly normal to shed as many as 100 hairs each day. If you do notice that the hair you’re shedding isn’t being replaced, that can be a concern. But it should be noted that has nothing to do with your shampoo.

Myth 3: Your Hat

Hats get blamed for a lot, from ruining hairstyles to contributing to hair loss. Fortunately, it turns out that the latter is just a myth. Despite what you’ve heard about friction or a hat blocking airflow to your scalp, wearing one won’t cause or contribute to hair loss.

In fact, wearing a hat might be a great idea if you are currently dealing with hair loss. It will not only conceal any areas of thinning, it can also help protect your scalp from sun damage or sunburn.

Myth 4: A Bit of Stress

Telogen effluvium is a type of hair loss or shedding that occurs after a major shock or stress to the your body’s system. If you’ve been under constant stress for weeks or months on end, you might experience telogen effluvium. The hair loss can also occur after a severe illness or change, such as pregnancy or giving birth. But, dealing with a mild amount of stress, the type that occurs when your car breaks down or when you have a big presentation at work tomorrow, shouldn’t be a contributing factor when it comes to hair loss.

Myth 5: Poor Circulation

It’s often believed that a lack of blood flow will cause your hair to fall out. While hair does need the nutrients supplied by the blood to grow and thrive, the issue of circulation is a really a chicken or the egg scenario. If you are losing your hair or have lost some hair, the follicles no longer need as much blood, so circulation or flow to that area of the scalp will diminish. Having poor circulation isn’t typically a primary cause of hair loss.

Myth 6: Tanning

There are many reasons why you should avoiding tanning, either by lying out in the sun or by visiting a tanning bed. Hair loss isn’t one of them, though, unless you have extensive sun exposure. Tanning may have a minor impact on how much hair you have or don’t have.

Myth 7: Eating Carbs

Carbs and sugar also get blamed for a lot things, from unwanted weight gain to accelerated skin aging. While your diet plays a part in the health of your hair, and not getting enough of certain nutrients can affect your hair, eating a lot of sugar and carbs won’t be the culprit of your hair loss. That being said, a diet low in proteins and essential fatty acids may contribute to hair loss.

If you are still wondering what’s behind your hair loss and what you can do about it, talk to Dr. Jeffrey Epstein, a board certified hair restoration specialist, today. Your hair loss might be a temporary issue or be a more permanent concern, in which case, a hair transplant might be the right option for you. To schedule a consultation at Dr. Epstein’s practice in New York City, call (212) 759-3484. Dr. Epstein also has a practice in Miami. For a consultation there, call (305) 666-1774.